Barrett Wins as Podlesni Clinches
Title in Sonoma
Written by: Jeremy Shaw Sonoma,
Calif. – 9/11/2006
Just 10 days after celebrating his
17th birthday, Pat Barrett, from Los Osos, Calif., made
a stunning professional racing debut by winning both
of this weekend’s Pacific F2000 Championship Presented
by Hankook races at Infineon Raceway.
The other big winner to emerge from the NASA (National
Auto Sport Association) event was 18-year-old Robert
"Poodles" Podlesni, from Thousand Oaks, Calif.,
who scooped a pair of podium finishes to secure the
coveted championship crown with two races remaining
next month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "I wish
I could have won [one of the races] but we were going
for the championship," said Podlesni, who had claimed
victory in four of this season’s first eight races
with Dave Freitas Racing’s #84 Alpinestars/Terminal
Velocity Van Diemen. "That was our goal for the
weekend, so we go home happy."
Barrett’s G.FRO teammate Philip Metzger, also
17, from Littleton, Colo., set the pace in the opening
qualifying session on Saturday, securing the first pole
position of his young career in the #29 Sovereign Energy/PM
Motorsports Van Diemen. Metzger’s advantage was
short-lived, however, as Podlesni got the jump at the
start. Farther around the opening lap, Barrett, who
qualified third, also found a way past the pole-sitter,
then set his sights on Podlesni.
Pat Barrett leads teammate
Phillip Metzger Saturday at Infineon Raceway (Photo by
Head-On Photo)
The top two exchanged positions a couple of times within
the first four laps before Barrett made his escape to
ensure a glorious debut in the #33 Go-Pro Camera/Russell
Racing/Kolliner-Long Gallery Van Diemen RF05. "Track
knowledge was a big advantage," admitted Barrett,
who recently clinched the Infineon Raceway-based Formula
Russell Championship (and the Rookie of the Year Award)
by virtue of a record-equaling 10th win of the season
from just 14 starts, "but it’s certainly
a good feeling to come out and do so well at this level."
Metzger also found a way around Podlesni to secure the
first-ever one-two finish for Geoff Fickling’s
G.FRO team. Podlesni hung on for third ahead of veteran
Tim Harris, from Irvine, Calif., in Ray Stephens Racing’s
#20 Apex Fire Systems/Carson Trailer/Mihms Truck Repair
Mygale SJ05.
Harris’ teammate Shaun Modisette, 19, from Rancho
Palos Verdes, Calif., made it four teenagers in the
top five after a steady run in the #26 Carson Trailer
Van Diemen, while another Jim Russell Racing School
graduate, Todd MacNaughton, made the trip from his home
in Hawaii well worthwhile by taking sixth in the Bill
Wilson Motorsports-prepped #8 Goto Construction Van
Diemen. The three youngsters again dominated the proceedings
on Sunday, this time with Podlesni starting from the
pole, flanked by Metzger and with Barrett lurking menacingly
on the inside of the second row of the grid.
Podlesni got away well to maintain his advantage on
the opening lap, but he quickly came under increasing
pressure from the impressive Barrett who had usurped
Metzger for second at Turn Two. On lap four, Barrett
took advantage of Podlesni’s inferior exit to
the Turn 11 hairpin, then drag-raced his rival along
the curving start/finish straightaway before completing
the pass in expert style at Turn Two. Podlesni set the
fastest lap of the race in his pursuit of Barrett, but
the debutant’s second win in as many days was
assured when the race finished under caution after Nick
Haye’s #4 PR1 Motorsports Mygale SJ05 became stranded
at the apex of the tricky Carousel turn with a broken
left-rear stub axle.
Metzger’s hopes of another podium finish evaporated
when he attempted to pass Podlesni on the outside of
the Turn 11 hairpin but succeeded only in making light
contact with the wall which necessitated a quick pit
stop. Harris was the primary beneficiary, finishing
third and reclaiming second place in the points table
from the unfortunate Haye, from Huntington Beach, Calif.,
who had run a strong third for much of the race. Scott
Rarick, from Santa Monica, Calif., had retired from
the Saturday race with a puncture but bounced back the
following day to finish fourth in the unique #34 Piper
DS5. MacNaughton rounded out the top five.
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